Venturers
by Mike1234
Summary: Following a trio of adventurers and their not-so-grand quest of earning enough loot to live comfortably, all the while keeping alive and ensuring they don't attract too much unwanted attention. Of course no matter how sound and well thought out, all things never go according to plan.
1. Chapter 1

As they passed through a clearing in the forest with an unobstructed view of the horizon, the trio of riders spotted a twin columns of blackish smoke rising skywards. Riding at point was a svelte figure wearing a dark-blue cloak, her face hidden underneath its cowl. Fastened to her back was a rucksack with a bumpy appearance and a near-empty quiver strapped alongside a yew longbow, the former tightly fastened to contain loot taken from their recent escapades into the wilderness and the latter a result of an overestimation on her part. The sheathed short swords attached to her belt bounced as her mount, a white-spotted black gelding, came to a steady stop. Tapping her fingers against her mount impatiently, she let out a sign of relief and removed her cowl as her companions approached. Her defined and pointed face, alongside large, mesmerizing green eyes and pointed ears, were explicit signs of her Elvish blood; yet her closely cropped hair and annoyed grimace contradicted the Fey beauty her race characteristically expressed.

"Well," she snapped. "That supposed to be the village you were talking about, Gyda?"

Atop a chestnut-brown pony a foot or so shorter than the Elf's mount, a stout and wide shouldered figure draped in stained green cloak removed their cowl to reveal a square-faced woman with a plain face and hair tied back into an ornately braided ponytail. The symbol of Pelor the Sun God was etched onto the decorative circular clip holding the braided design together, the sole piece of jewellery present on the Dwarf's person. She stretched, cracking her back and grunting at the weighted load she carried in her rucksack. Her mace bounced on the shield it was attached to onto her back as she looked back up at the smoke and shook her head.

"Yes Val, it was. Although now I'm less inclined to believe it's as peaceful as I once believed it to be. Palor bless the poor souls against the tribulations upon them."

"Are we not investigating?" Gyda and Val turned to see their final companion atop his gray stallion trotting towards them. Between the three he carried the largest load, a rucksack double the size of either women's bag, and a single mule led by a line of rope tied to its neck carrying several boxes, a barrel, and two filled burlap sacks all fastened tightly by more rope. Fastened to belts on his back beside the backpack were a peculiar variety of exotic weapons: spear-like construct attached to a rope he'd called a harpoon, a few bone-crafted machetes called iuaks, and a hand-axe that was more of a climbing implement than an actual weapon. Although he wore a dark-blue cloak like Val, he was considerably less comfortable in it, leaving the front of the cloak open and exposing studded leather armour and a lean, muscled physique riddled with scars. He pulled his cowl back, exposing a tired looking man with scars over his cheeks and chin alongside a small beard and long, unkempt and slightly sweaty hair fastened in a simple ponytail._  
_

Gyda shook her head at the Frostfell Human still visibly struggling to acclimate to a warmer environment in the hottest season of the year. "We've no idea of what challenged lie before us, much less how well we'd put up a fight in our current debilitated state."

"Take her word for is Ossie. With the load we're carrying it's too big a risk."

"But my name is-"

"Sarcasm, Oslo." Gyda grunted as she dismounted her pony, removing her backpack and weapons before stretching again. Satisfied by the chorus of cracks, she motioned for her companions to join her. "Come, let's rest while we plan our next course of action."

* * *

"I do not understand, why do we not we just cut through the forest and bypass the village?"

"Because we don't want to attract attention to ourselves and this load we're carrying."

"Could we not just hasten ourselves past this threat that you and Val-"

"Just Gyda, I'm not afraid of anything remember!"

"-that you find so fearful?"

Gyda rubbed her furrowed brow. "You've overestimated our animals. Even when frightened they still won't be quick enough to avoid whatever's plaguing the village, which we'll have to assume to be raiders capable of giving chase to us. On horseback we could escape but with a mule? No, especially if the village is against Gnolls or a rather organized Goblinoid raiding party, we'll have to backtrack to the river and follow it's mouth to the nearest port city which would be...ah yes, Brisdol." Oslo and her had been debating on their next course of action as Val spit-roasted a fawn she'd hunted an hour earlier.

Each attempt to convince her barbarian accomplice had been in vain up until this point. Initially they'd been able to engage in a little small talk, which the dwarf had to admit her companion was quickly beginning to grab a hold of. Gradually they began lightly bickering over the next course of action, prompting Val to take off and acquire her aforementioned kill. As Val called them over, Oslo sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"I am the foreigner here, my friend. To this 'Brisdol' we go." Gyda was relieved at her friend's compliance; she'd almost forgotten that the Everfrost Tribesman was by nature a warrior underneath his respectful, silent, and otherwise indifferent persona. _Palor knows he's just beginning to grasp the concept of accumulating wealth as an investment than a means of instant gratification_ she thought. The dwarf made her way to her companions, thanking the Elf for the handing a particularly juicy looking haunch to her. She took small, manageable bites out of her meal, every so often looking up and shaking her head in amusement at her companions voracious consumption of the animal._  
_

"Where'd you throw the animal's viscera, Val?"

Not looking up from her meal, Val extended her leg towards the undergrowth of the forest. Gyda grunted, noting the trail of blood leading out of the forest as she wiped her hands on a piece of cloth from within her rucksack. Satisfied that most of the animal grease was gone, she placed the remainders of her meal into the fire alongside the cloth. She chuckled at the macabre remains of the deer carcass thanks to her hungry companions as she strapped her shield to her arm and the mace to her belt.

"If I yell, assume I've been attacked."

Val and Oslo grunted in agreement, both still picking at the remaining pieces of venison and not bothering to look up.

Gyda sighed as she headed into the forest. "You'd think an Elf would understand what leaving fresh meat out might attract-"


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapters will be updated as frequently as possible; I am aware of the grammatical, lore and spelling errors present but rest assured I plan on giving this text a read through to correct said mistakes and errors._**

* * *

Gyda stared intently at the peculiar sight before her. Once again she'd underestimated Val, shaking her head in reluctant admiration at the trap that'd snared a diminutive, ursine-like animal. The creature's body looked like that of a brown bear cub yet it's face was distinctly avian in appearance and its light-brown fur tinged with tufts of down. It looked up at her and gave a pathetic chirp, eyes going wide as it struggled to escape the snare tightly fastened around its rear leg and rump.

"What an odd animal," Gyda mused. "Over a hundred books at the temple and not once have I come across an animal such as yourself. Quite interesting." She reached into her back pocket, grabbing hold of a small dagger and bringing it close to the captured creature. "Now, now, I'm only going to cut you free, honest! Just let me..." The animal's panicked cries, now reaching irritating volumes, bombarded her senses. Sawing at the rope at a hurried pace she'd managed to free it, watching it tumble back to earth relatively unscathed before a chorus of cracking sounds echoed from the underbrush several feet away. Pushing the knife back into its holder, she scarcely drew her mace when a larger, fiercer version of the animal at her feet burst into sight.

Gyda gripped her weapon tightly as the creature cast a bestial glower in her direction, eyes burning with a sort of maternal protectiveness. The animal stood up on its hind legs, its massive slouching frame casting a shadow over its cub and her as it bared hawk-like talons jutting out of its paws. It let out a screech before pouncing forward, hitting the ground with its front paws and charging directly at the Dwarf. Knowing she was in a precarious position, she bolted in the other direction, shouting at the top of her lungs to her companions.

* * *

Val heard her companion's pleas for help first, dropping the bone she'd been gnawing on and instantly going for her bow. Oslo followed en suite, tossing his cleanly picked piece into the fire and brandishing his harpoon as his companion notched an arrow from her quiver and aimed at the entrance in the forest they'd come through. A loud screech unfamiliar to the man pierced the air, causing a noticeably panicked reaction from their mounts and pack mule.

"Val, what was that?"

The Elf grunted in response, one eye closed as she held her bow's string taught and leveled. Oslo's answer came a moment later; he blinked at the sight of Gyda bursting through the undergrowth shouting as a large, bird-like creature with a massive body covered in fur and feather closed the distance behind her. It's physique was reminiscent of the bears he's seen in the Frostfell regions he'd called home, despite it's bizarre owlish features. Returning his attention back to the situation at hand, he exhaled sharply and charged. An arrow whizzed past him, narrowly missing the Dwarf and embedding itself in the creature's nostril, causing it to slow its pace and roar. Taking the opportunity presented, Oslo gripped his weapon tightly, gritting his teeth as he braced for the impact of his reckless charge and thrust. The harpoon-head, alongside a good portion of the shaft, wedged deep into the animal's chunky neck, bringing the man close enough to the creature to see the confused and furious expression on its face.

* * *

Val cursed under her breath as she loosed her final arrow. Discarding her bow and unstrapping her quiver, she sprinted towards her companions. She drew her swords as she approached the beast, quickly darting to the side of Oslo as he struggled to maintain his hold over the animal while avoiding its sharp, hooked beak. He made eye contact with her and nodded in acknowledgement before resuming his struggles.

"Val, go for its hindquarters!"

The Elf looked up to see her Dwarven companion's mace held skywards, a large circular shield clutched tightly in her other hand. She shouted her god's name as a warcry, bringing the mace in a downward arc into the side of the animal. Hearing the animal's distressed response, Val acted quickly. She vaulted onto the creature's back and stabbed her short sword into its back, pushing the blade as deep as it would go. "Get back!"

Gyda and Oslo retreated swiftly, the latter abandoning his weapon and heading back towards the campfire as the former retreated several steps and took a defensive stance, ready to assist when she could. Satisfied, Val gripped the handle of her planted sword tightly and began stabbing the creature's head with the other. She repeated this process as fast as she could, ignoring bursts of blood staining her vision and the constant bucking of the desperate animal. By the time she opened her eyes, the creature's erratic movements had slowed dramatically. Absentmindedly, she let go of her swords and tumbled onto the ground, letting out a grunt before closing her eyes in exhaustion.

* * *

Oslo had retrieved his iuak bone machetes and rushed back into the fray, only to be greeted by the sights of Gyda tending over Val and the dead animal. The "Owlbear" as he decided was an appropriate name, was a gory sight. Its fur-feathers were matted in fresh blood no doubt extremely sticky in the current heat and its comic death grimace, an eyelid drooped over a glazed eye while its tongue lay exposed by a wide open beak, betrayed its threatening persona. The Frostfell man mouthed a silent prayer to the great beast, wiping the sweat accumulating on his forehead before stepping closer to the animal's corpse. He furrowed his brow as he stooped closer to inspect the animal's body, seeing a snapped piece of his harpoon jutting outwards.

_Not enough room on our persons to carry its remains _he thought, stroking the hair on his chin. He scowled at the thought of simply leaving the creature and all the vital resources it offered and letting its remains go to waste.

"We're really lucky you know."

"Indeed," he replied halfheartedly. He felt the Dwarf's hand rest on his shoulder, grunting in acknowledgement but refusing to abandon his private musing. "How is Val?"

"Fast asleep, which is humorous given the circumstances. Pelor knows how difficult our ventures have been these past few days...ironic it takes one of these creatures-"

"An Owlbear."

"-an Owlbear to do what a group of bandits could not. How are you holding up?"

"Fine...we need to find that village, Gyda. Trekking back into the woods exhausted and in bloody clothes will do us more trouble than good."

Oslo looked up, noting the grim look on his companion's face. "We'll be taking a big risk, you know. We might even lose all of our loot."

"In my homeland, my people once came across a settlement of Icefolk, nomads who were greater attuned to the Frostfell than ourselves. Beached near to their encampment was a massive fish, one of which could sustain the hunger of a village for many months. Yet they left it alone because its girth had cracked the ice below it, and its blood had seeped for many hours." The man stood upright, brushing strands of hair back from his face and looking down at his companion's confused facial expression.

"I don't understand."

"The creature's carcass was placed in a dangerous position. A hunter brave enough to gather its bounty faces the trials of unstable footing and opportunistic scavengers. There are certain risks that must be taken for survival, yet a risk is only a risk when survival can be assured. When survival cannot be assured, it is not a risk. It is suicide. As I think the saying goes in your tongue, don't bite of more than you can chew."

Gyda raised an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "That's a little dire of a metaphor, don't you think?"

"Given the presence of that animal, who knows what else could lie within the forest waiting for a tired, desperate group of travellers. I will watch over the Elf, if you wish, but I will be heading towards this settlement you and Val-"

"Just Gyda!"

"-find so intimidating." Oslo and Gyda turned their attention to their companion. The Frostfell barbarian shook his head, amused by his now conscious comrade's quip. Val looked up at them, a strained expression on her face as she attempted to lift herself off the ground.

* * *

Gyda rushed over to assist, positioning herself underneath one of the Elf's arms and bearing the brunt of the weight on one side of her body. She noted the signs of bruising evident on her companion's wrist, thanking her deity quietly that it was all the injury she sustained from her wild maneuver.

"You're truly a reckless madwoman, aren't you?"

The Elf smirked. "I believe you would refer to it as a 'calculated deliberation culminating in the execution of an unorthodox but evidently effective maneuver', no?"

"Shut up."

Gyda rolled her eyes as her companion chuckled, uttering a quick thank you as Oslo mimicked her movements. In a few seconds the pair had managed to move Val to her horse, assisting her as best they could as she mounted the animal and grabbed the reins with one hand. The Dwarf smacked her lips in concern as she noticed the ugly coloration forming around the Elf's wrist seemed to swell in size. "Your wrists-"_  
_

"Are something we can deal with when we get to the village. I heard Oslo's story and it, though a little long-winded, really is the most sensible maneuver."

Opening her mouth to argue, Gyda ultimately decided such as task was futile, simply shaking her head before glancing over at Oslo. He was already mounted atop his steed, the pack mule and the Dwarf's pony in hand.

"It's settled then. To the village we go."


End file.
